Air conditioner



July 28, 1936.

G. D. HARRIS AIR CONDITIONER Filed Jan, 14, 1935 BY 5- M ATTORNE INVENZOR Patented July 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONER New York Application January 14, 1935, Serial no. 1,743

1 Claim.

Drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of m improved air conditioner apparatus;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same shown as taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view shown as taken on the line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an elevation partly broken away at one end of my improved water evaporating container.

Description This invention is an improvement upon my co-pending application Serial No. 722,856 filed May 31, 1934, since issued as U. S. Patent N0. 2,009,550, dated July 30, 1935, and the showing made in the herein drawing is illustrative of the invention irrespective of its location or use, since my improved domestic air-conditioner is adaptable for use in large or small rooms.

As seen in the drawing, there is provided an' apparatus substantially rectangular in shape, having inlet ducts I0 and H at one end, and an outlet duct I2 at the opposite end whereby air may be introduced into the apparatus, conditioned therein and discharged to circulate into an area where conditioned air is desired. A reservoir I3 preferably filled with water, issuitably mounted at the upper part of the apparatus accessible thereat to be conveniently refilled from time to time as required. The apparatus as shown may preferably provide a housing divided into two sections which for convenience in designating will be referred to as a front section I4 and a rear section I5, separated by a partition l6 which extends substantially the entire length and height of said apparatus. The section I4 is provided with suitable means permitting osmosis, said means preferably extending substantially the width and height of said section, and for purposes of clarity said means will be referred to as the water chamber I1, and it is to this chamber that the present invention is particularly directed.

The housing section l5 as. illustrated is somewhat similar to the structure shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 722,856. However, with a slight modification, namely, that of having one complete unit providing upper and lower headers I 8, l8 connected by a plurality of vertically spaced and parallel tubes l9 to permit circulation of the water. It is to be noted that the headers l8, l8 are positioned respectively in the upper andlower portions of the housing section I 5, and that the tubes I9 connecting them are each of relatively small diameter and are numerous, thereby providing a considerable heat-transfer. surface, and also providing for ample circulation of the water from the lower header to the upper header through said tubes.

Referring now more particularly to the osmosis permitting means of the present chamber l1, commonly known as a water monkey, is preferably constructed of a porous or osmosis permitting material. In construction it is substantially box-like in shape, and in order to give a greater surface for evaporation of water which may seep through the outer walls thereof, I have housing and out of the open end of the section by means of the forced air caused by a blower or fan in the inlet duct l0. Extending through the interior of the chamber I! are a plurality of tunnels 2|, here illustrated by preference as a pair of substantially the-same size and of the same material as that comprising the outside walls and surfaces of thechamber. Said tunnels are preferably of generally rectangular shape and disposed one above the other longitudinally parallel to each other and to the chamber outside walls, but separated from-said walls to permit an open space 22 therebetween, within the water monke'y, said space being closed at the extreme outer ends of the water monkey preferably by integral outer end walls 23.

Inuse, water fills the space 22 within the water monkey, said space being kept full from the reservoir l3 to which it is directly connected by a pipe 24 connecting the top of the "water monkey with the bottom of said reservoir through an intervening part of the interior of housing section I4. The chamber I! likewise may be prol8, l8 respectively by suitable means, and such means may be pipes 21 and 26, which pass through the partition wall by virtue of openings provided therefor. In this respect it will be noted that there always is a continuous flow of water circulating in the chamber I! and the headers l8, l8, with the water level in the upper header maintained at substantially the same level as in the upper part of the chamber.

In carrying out the invention and as more particularly illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, if a cool humidified air is desired, the osmotic condition presented on the exposed outer surfaces of the chamber and inner exposed tunnel walls thereof will be assimilated by air passing thereover and carried therewith. outwardly through the outlet duct l2.

It is preferable that such air be free of any dust or the like, and for accomplishing this purpose, I have provided suitable means in the form of a very fine wire mesh 29 conveniently mounted adjacent the outer side of the chamber across the outlet. This will insure a clean humidified air, and circulation thereof may be accomplished by utilization of a-fan 30 located in any convenient place, for instance, in the inlet duct l0 leading to the "water monkey. Power, for operating the fan may conveniently come from any source, mechanical or electrical and discussion of the same is not deemed necessary.

Should a warm humidified air be desired, especially in the cool season of the year, the reservoir 13 may then be conveniently tapped and a supply pipe 3| leading therein may be utilized to introduce heated water to the system. The mode of operation for circulating the warm humidified air will be otherwise the same as above described when a cool humidified air is desired.

Another feature of the invention is that whe a cool or warm dry air is desired, the fan 30 used for forcing the air past the "water monkey" through that housing section and out through duct I 2 is shut ofi, and a second fan 32, conveniently placed in the inlet duct I l to the other housing section may then be utilized. As this fan 32 operates, it will force air, cooled or warmed according to conditions created by the upstanding pipes I9, in circulation around and past said pipes, through the filtering member 29 and thence outwardly through the outlet duct I2. The apparatus is accordingly susceptible to use forobtaining purified conditioned air of the character desired, namely, humidified and cooled, or humidified and warmed, or merely cooled or warmed but not humidified. Both fans 30 and 32 may be operated simultaneously if desired, thereby obtaining greater heat exchange in the section having the tubes with the humidifying effect of the air passing over the "water monkey.

I claim:

An apparatus as characterized comprising a water chamber of porous material having tunnels therethrough in one longitudinal direction thereof, said chamber being closed and providing continuous evaporating surfaces at its top, bottom and two sides, and providing interior continuous evaporating surfaces at the corresponding top, bottom, and sides of the tunnels, means for completely enclosing said water chamber spaced therefrom, thereby providing an air passage between said top, bottom and two side walls of the water chamber and said enclosing means, said enclosing means having an inlet next one end of the tunnels and an outlet next the other end of, the tunnels, said air passage and said tunnels being in direct communication at opposite ends with said inlet and outlet respectively, air entering the inlet and escaping through the outlet passing partly through the tunnels and partly around the chamber in the same direction thereby enabling a maximum volume of air to be humidified by use of a chamber of minimum size.

GORDON D. HARRIS. 

